Is swing trading a viable career?
Can you make a living swing trading, or is this just another case of “too good to be true”? This trading style is positioned between day trading and long-term investment and demands a strategic approach and a solid understanding of market trends. But, yes – you can absolutely get started swing trading for a living.
One of the main benefits of swing trading is that while it doesn't take much time, you can earn large profits for the time invested. This trading style can be anything you want it to be. If you are willing to dedicate yourself entirely to it, you can easily earn a living through swing trading alone.
The Swing Trading strategy can lead to profits in the short term, usually in the range of 10% to 30%. However, as most things investing usually are, it is a risky bet. About 90% of traders report losses during trading.
A Swing Trading in your area makes on average $13 per hour, or $0.37 (30.179%) more than the national average hourly salary of $12.19. ranks number 1 out of 50 states nationwide for Swing Trading salaries.
Many people put in multiple years before breaking into consistent (or even any) profitability. It takes at least a year to consistently make money from day trading or swing trading, if working at it full-time or with a mentor, and only working one (maybe two) strategies. Six months is the quickest; most take longer.
The main reason 90% of swing traders don't make a profit from their efforts is that they don't take it seriously enough. They open an account, read a few articles, and try and dive right in.
While swing trading offers opportunities for quick gains, it comes with drawbacks such as overnight risks and the potential to miss out on long term investment opportunities. Despite its challenges, swing trading remains popular, especially with the convenience of online trading platforms like Share India.
Swing trading can be difficult for the average retail trader. Professional traders have more experience, leverage, information, and lower commissions; however, they are limited by the instruments they are allowed to trade, the risk they are capable of taking on, and their large amount of capital.
Paul Tudor Jones - Another famous swing trader is Paul Tudor Jones. Jones is a billionaire hedge fund manager who is known for his aggressive trading style. He is one of the most successful traders of all time, and he has a net worth of over $5 billion.
With a $10,000 account, a good day might bring in a five percent gain, which is $500. However, day traders also need to consider fixed costs such as commissions charged by brokers. These commissions can eat into profits, and day traders need to earn enough to overcome these fees [2].
What is a realistic monthly return for swing trading?
Aiming for a 5-10% monthly return is a common and a realistic swing trading return. To translate this into a living wage, you'd need to define what “making a living” means for you. For instance, if your monthly expenses are $3,000, a capital of $30,000 with a 10% return would suffice.
Is Day Trading Riskier Than Swing Trading? Both day trading and swing trading comes with significant risks. Generally speaking, the greater the risk, the greater the profit. Day trading plays on smaller price movements, so the risk is lower than swing trading.
But for all intents and purposes, yes, you can start trading with $100.
In general, the higher the risk, the bigger the potential gain. Because day trading is based on considerably smaller price changes, the risk of loss is lower than in swing trading. However, little earnings and losses may soon pile up when you conduct many trades in one day.
It allows beginners to learn at a comfortable pace, manage risk effectively, and fit trading into their daily routine. While no trading method is without risk, swing trading offers a balanced approach for those starting in stock trading.
Swing traders will often look for opportunities on the daily charts and may watch one-hour or 15-minute charts to find precise entry, stop-loss, and take-profit levels. Swing trading requires less time to trade than day trading. It maximizes short-term profit potential by capturing the bulk of market swings.
The holding period for a typical swing trade falls somewhere between two days and two weeks. Of course, there are exceptions where some trades are held for longer periods of time – but we'll talk about that later on. For now, let's focus on the average holding period for a swing trade.
If you want to earn good profits without spending all day in front of your screen, swing trading is for you. It requires far less time commitment than scalp trading. Remember – with scalping, your goal is to capitalize upon momentary swings in a stock's price.
We're going to discuss both the profit these styles return and the time it takes you to earn that return. Without a doubt, swing trading offers better returns – both in terms of profit and time. You may earn less profit percentage per swing trade compared to investing – that much is true.
Swing Trading Strategy: Smaller Gains, Smaller Losses
Rather than targeting a 20% to 25% profit for most of your trades, a more modest 5% to 10% will be the first profit goal. The difference is largely due to the holding period. Swing trades don't last months. It's more like a couple of weeks.
Which stock is best for swing trading?
SNo | Top Swing Trading Stocks in India | Industry |
---|---|---|
1. | Avenue Supermarts Ltd (DMart) | Retail |
2. | Indian Railway Catering & Tourism Corporation Ltd | Railways |
3. | Tata Motors Ltd | Automobile |
4. | Hindustan Unilever Ltd | FMCG |
A swing trading position is typically held longer than a day trading position but shorter than buy and hold investment strategies that can be held for months or years. The critical part of swing trading is that you must have good risk management to prevent losses from turning into bigger ones.
However, it's important to note that an estimated 90% of swing traders do not make money. This suggests that the average success rate of swing traders who do earn a profit annually is about 10%. As such, swing trading isn't a get-rich-quick scheme, but a strategic approach that requires skill, patience, and discipline.
Scalping is for those who can handle stress, make quick decisions, and act accordingly. Your timeframe influences what trading style is best for you; scalpers make hundreds of trades per day and must stay glued to the markets, while swing traders make fewer trades and can check in less frequently.
From Paul Tudor Jones to Stanley Druckenmiller, the list of successful swing traders is long and illustrious. Each of these traders had their own unique style and approach, but they all shared a common trait – the ability to anticipate major market movements and make bold bets on the outcomes.
References
- https://www.motilaloswal.com/blog-details/why-does-being-an-investor-or-a-trader-matter-to-your-tax-liability/1477
- https://www.fool.com/investing/how-to-invest/stocks/day-trading/
- https://finance.yahoo.com/news/why-shark-tank-investor-barbara-165103747.html
- https://www.poplarhomes.com/real-estate-investment/how-much-is-too-much-to-pay-for-a-rental-property/
- https://www.5paisa.com/stock-market-guide/online-trading/what-are-the-different-types-of-online-trading
- https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/possible-become-millionaire-investing-stocks-muhammad-sufyan-bjf0f
- https://www.quora.com/Whats-the-best-moving-average-a-swing-trader-can-use-for-profitable-trading
- https://www.kotaksecurities.com/intraday-trading/which-time-frame-is-best-for-intraday-trading/
- https://www.investopedia.com/articles/investing/062215/how-calculate-roi-rental-property.asp
- https://tradeciety.com/how-to-use-moving-averages
- https://www.bankrate.com/real-estate/1-percent-rule-real-estate/
- https://fastercapital.com/content/Scalping-with-moving-averages--Riding-the-Trend-for-Consistent-Profits.html
- https://www.vectorvest.com/blog/swing-trading/how-long-is-a-swing-trade/
- https://www.investopedia.com/articles/active-trading/021715/scalping-vs-swing-trading.asp
- https://www.investopedia.com/ask/answers/012815/why-50-simple-moving-average-sma-so-common-traders-and-analysts.asp
- https://get.investors.com/articles/what-you-should-know-about-swing-trading/
- https://poe.com/poeknowledge/1512928000377300
- https://www.quora.com/Is-it-possible-to-make-money-consistently-doing-swing-trading-or-is-it-simply-another-form-of-gambling
- https://www.investopedia.com/articles/trading/06/dayofswingtrader.asp
- https://smartasset.com/investing/50-rule-real-estate
- https://tradeciety.com/24-statistics-why-most-traders-lose-money
- https://www.azibo.com/blog/one-percent-vs-two-percent-rule-real-estate
- https://blog.stockedge.com/top-3-swing-trading-strategies-for-beginners/
- https://www.realized1031.com/blog/is-the-1-rule-of-real-estate-investing-realistic
- https://www.binance.com/en/square/post/2830230013449
- https://www.vectorvest.com/blog/swing-trading/swing-trading-success-rate/
- https://www.quora.com/Why-do-the-majority-of-traders-lose-money-in-trading
- https://www.investopedia.com/ask/answers/08/minimum-amounts-of-money-to-start-trading.asp
- https://www.indmoney.com/articles/stocks/best-stocks-for-swing-trading
- https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/why-25000-minimum-day-trading-forex-trading-for-beginners2-dfjac
- https://www.rocketmortgage.com/learn/1-rule-real-estate
- https://www.investopedia.com/articles/trading/09/how-to-trade-for-a-living.asp
- https://www.quickenloans.com/learn/one-percent-rule
- https://www.bankrate.com/investing/what-is-the-rule-of-72/
- https://novelmanagement.com/how-long-does-it-take-to-make-a-profit-on-a-rental-investment/
- https://smartasset.com/taxes/how-day-traders-can-reduce-taxes
- https://www.fisdom.com/top-5-strategies-for-swing-trading/
- https://www.binance.com/en-JP/square/post/624893
- https://learn.moneysukh.com/best-moving-averages-for-intraday-trading/
- https://www.investopedia.com/articles/trading/05/011705.asp
- https://www.mstock.com/articles/5-reasons-why-traders-lose-money-in-stock-market
- https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/what-90-rule-forex-broker-forex-global-czp0c
- https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/options-trading-strategies-quantifiedstrategies-cfz4f
- https://www.ig.com/us/trading-strategies/what-are-the-best-swing-trading-indicators-200421
- https://gitnux.org/day-trading-for-a-living-statistics/
- https://www.investopedia.com/financial-edge/0511/8-must-have-numbers-for-evaluating-a-real-estate-investment.aspx
- https://www.glassdoor.co.in/Community/consulting-india/what-should-be-the-minimum-target-per-month-on-net-investment-when-youre-doing-swing-trading-and-actively-participating-along-with-ssum-5
- https://www.vectorvest.com/blog/swing-trading/swing-trading-vs-scalping/
- https://www.indiainfoline.com/knowledge-center/trading-account/day-trading-vs-swing-trading
- https://www.datasciencesociety.net/what-proportion-of-day-traders-find-themselves-profitable/
- https://www.forbes.com/advisor/investing/what-is-day-trading/
- https://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc429
- https://www.audacitycapital.co.uk/trading-guides/forex-for-beginners/how-much-to-start-forex-trading/
- https://www.landlordstudio.com/blog/how-much-profit-should-you-make-on-a-rental-property
- https://tradethatswing.com/how-long-it-takes-to-make-money-day-trading-or-swing-trading-consistently/
- https://poe.com/poeknowledge/1512928000358234
- https://www.investopedia.com/terms/s/swingtrading.asp
- https://www.ziprecruiter.com/Salaries/Swing-Trading-Salary
- https://arrived.com/blog/two-percent-rule
- https://tradethatswing.com/the-1-risk-rule-for-day-trading-and-swing-trading/
- https://www.fidelity.com/viewpoints/active-investor/moving-averages
- https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-trade-forex-50-best-trader-15h6c
- https://www.kotaksecurities.com/share-market/how-to-earn-1000-rs-per-day-in-the-share-market/
- https://fastercapital.com/keyword/successful-swing-traders.html
- https://www.quora.com/Is-it-possible-to-earn-1-000-daily-through-day-trading-or-stock-market-investments
- https://www.investnext.com/blog-posts/what-is-the-80-20-rule-in-real-estate/
- https://trendspider.com/learning-center/moving-average-crossover-strategies/
- https://money.cnn.com/interactive/news/economy/how-us-trade-stacks-up/index.html
- https://admiralmarkets.com/education/articles/forex-strategy/scalping-vs-day-trading-vs-swing-trading
- https://www.forbes.com/advisor/in/investing/swing-trading-strategies/
- https://www.nirmalbang.com/knowledge-center/day-trading-vs-swing-trading.html
- https://www.morpher.com/blog/most-successful-swing-traders
- https://www.vectorvest.com/blog/swing-trading/is-swing-trading-profitable/
- https://www.investopedia.com/ask/answers/032715/when-expense-ratio-considered-high-and-when-it-considered-low.asp
- https://www.unfcu.org/financial-wellness/50-30-20-rule/
- https://www.smallcase.com/learn/types-of-stock-market-trading/
- https://www.investopedia.com/articles/basics/10/investing-or-gambling.asp
- https://www.equiti.com/sc-en/news/trading-ideas/best-moving-average-in-swing-trading/
- https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/2-percent-rule
- https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/why-95-percent-indian-traders-lose-money-krishna-kumar
- https://medium.com/coinmonks/what-is-the-5-8-13-21-ema-strategy-nas100-scalping-234767a870ea
- https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/investing/3-day-trading-tax-tricks
- https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/best-tradingview-indicators-swing-trading-quantifiedstrategies-qkbcc
- https://gitnux.org/day-trading-statistics/
- https://www.amaral.law/blog/2023/05/dividing-investment-properties-in-a-california-divorce/
- https://www.investopedia.com/articles/financial-theory/09/probability-without-formulas.asp
- https://www.investopedia.com/ask/answers/122414/what-are-most-common-periods-used-creating-moving-average-ma-lines.asp
- https://www.5paisa.com/stock-market-guide/online-trading/introduction-to-swing-trading
- https://www.investopedia.com/articles/trading/09/risk-management.asp
- https://tradenation.com/articles/swing-trading-vs-day-trading/
- https://m.economictimes.com/markets/stocks/news/unlock-your-trading-success-by-using-a-simple-formula/articleshow/102035707.cms
- https://www.angelone.in/blog/why-95-percent-of-indian-traders-lose-money
- https://www.vectorvest.com/blog/taxes/swing-trading-taxes-how-the-capital-gains-tax-can-surprise-you/
- https://realestatefinancialplanner.com/real-estate-investing-rules-of-thumb/
- https://finance.yahoo.com/news/lost-40-000-day-trading-171512749.html
- https://www.azibo.com/blog/rental-property-expenses
- https://www.moneyshow.com/articles/tradingidea-60554/
- https://www.quora.com/How-many-percent-of-my-portfolio-should-I-risk-per-trade-as-a-swing-trader
- https://www.forex.com/en/learn-trading/5-3-1-trading-strategy/
- https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/swing-trading-strategies-quantifiedstrategies-dqfff
- https://www.vectorvest.com/blog/swing-trading/swing-trading-vs-investing-long-term/
- https://www.dukascopy.com/swiss/english/marketwatch/articles/top-10-most-successful-forex-traders-in-the-world/
- https://www.fmz.com/strategy/435828
- https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/what-200-ema-forex-forex-trading-for-beginners2-hiloc
- https://www.avatrade.com/education/technical-analysis-indicators-strategies/moving-average-forex-strategy
- https://www.vectorvest.com/blog/swing-trading/swing-trading-for-a-living/
- https://medium.com/@unschooledtrader/swing-trading-mastering-the-art-of-the-5-20-ema-crossover-strategy-311492814a33
- https://2ndskiesforex.com/trading-and-investing-basics/how-to-swing-trade/
- https://blog.dhan.co/which-timeframe-is-best-for-swing-trading/
- https://www.shareindia.com/knowledge-center/online-share-trading/what-is-swing-trading
- https://www.tradingsim.com/blog/day-trading-taxes-guide-for-beginners
- https://realtrading.com/trading-blog/trading-charts/